DF and WorkCover Queensland; Queensland Police Service (Third Party)

Application number:
2006 F0064
Decision date:
Friday, May 12, 2006

DF and WorkCover Queensland; Queensland Police Service (Third Party)
 (2006 F0064, 12 May 2006)

s.44(1) – Personal affairs

The review applicant objected to the disclosure of documents by WorkCover to his employer, the Queensland Police Service (QPS). In its internal review decision, WorkCover decided that although the matter in issue concerned the review applicant's personal affairs, the public interest favoured disclosure of the documents as they would assist QPS regarding the review applicant's application for a review of the decision by WorkCover to reject his claim. 

 

Assistant Commissioner Rangihaeata found that most of the matter in issue clearly concerned the review applicant's personal affairs, and that the public interest consideration raised by WorkCover was not sufficient to outweigh the privacy interests attaching to the matter in issue. This matter was therefore exempt from disclosure under section 44(1) of the FOI Act. AC Rangihaeata found, however, that some segments of the matter in issue could not be characterised as concerning the review applicant's personal affairs as they were properly characterised as the review applicant's employment affairs, and the business and/or employment affairs of the doctors who assessed the review applicant's medical condition. These segments of matter were subsequently not exempt from disclosure under s.44(1) of the FOI Act.